1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of transportation vehicles and, in particular, to a vehicle that is capable of travel on the water, vertical flight and hovercraft type operation.
2. Description of Related Art
Many aircraft have been designed to land and takeoff from both water and land using a fuselage having a boat shaped waterproof hull or pontoons mounted on struts extending from the fuselage. However these aircraft are not designed for traveling significant distances on the water. Hovercraft are designed to travel a few inches above the water. They are generally limited to flat terrain when over land. Flight, however, is not possible. They operate by pumping air into inflatable bags under the vehicle, which thereafter exits forming a support cushion. Ducted propellers or fans are used for horizontal movement. Some helicopters are designed to land and takeoff from water.
In the past, there have been numerous vehicles produced providing vertical takeoff and landing using vertically mounted ducted fans or propellers. Some of these vehicles were designed to land and takeoff from both land and water. The smallest design being nothing more than a ducted fan platform with the pilot standing there above. However, most designs used multiple ducted fans, thus requiring a larger planform.
Thus it is a primary object of the invention to provide a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle that is designed to travel long distances on the water.
It is another primary object of the invention to provide a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle having a small size that is designed to travel long distances on the water.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle that is small in size and is designed to travel long distances on the water by using a turbofan engine exhaust ducted through a plurality of rotatable nozzles.
The invention is a vehicle having the capability to travel on water, vertically takeoff and land, and travel in the air at moderate altitudes. In detail, the vehicle includes a hull having a longitudinal, vertical and lateral axis, the hull further having front end and rear ends, first and second sides, and a passenger compartment. A turbofan engine is mounted in the hull. A center plenum chamber is mounted in the hull having a center portion coupled to the exhaust duct of the engine and first and second ends extending latterly to the first and second sides of the hull. First and second side plenum chambers having front and rear ends extend along the first and second sides of the hull and are coupled to the first and second ends, respectively, of the center plenum. First and second front exhaust nozzles are coupled to the front ends of the first and second side plenum chambers and first and second rear exhaust nozzles are coupled to the rear ends of the first and second side plenum chambers. All of these exhaust nozzles are rotatable from a vertically downward position to at least a partially horizontal direction and incorporating shudders to adjust the flow rate of exhaust gas from the turbofan engine therethrough.
In one embodiment, the hull is a trimaran hull with a central hull section and first and second side pontoons or hull sections. The turbofan engine in the central hull section with the inlet facing toward the front end of the hull and the exhaust duct facing to the end. The first and second side plenums are mounted in the first and second side hull sections. The exhaust duct is coupled to the center of the center plenum chamber and the rear ends of the first and second side plenum chambers are coupled to the first and second ends of the center plenum chamber. The first and second front exhaust nozzles face inward toward the longitudinal axis of the hull and the first and second rear nozzles face outward away from the longitudinal axis. An opening in the center hull section is in communication with inlet of the turbofan engine and a door mounted on center section of the hull is used to cover the opening, when the engine is off.
In another embodiment, the hull is also a trimaran with the turbofan engine mounted with the inlet facing toward the rear end of the center section of the hull and the exhaust duct facing to the front end and coupled to the center of the center plenum chamber. The front ends of the first and second side plenum chambers are coupled to first and second ends of the center plenum chamber. The inlet of the turbofan engine is connected to a passageway in the center section of the hull extending initially along the longitudinal axis of the hull and curving upward exiting the hull in the direction of the vertical axis. In this embodiment, the exhaust nozzles all are mounted on the external sides of the side hulls facing away from the longitudinal axis thereof.